Mississippi Registered Agent

Primary Duties of Mississippi Registered Agents

The duties of a registered agent in Mississippi don’t differ much from the responsibilities of agents in other states. Their central role is to receive service of process alongside other legal and official correspondence on behalf of your organization. The agent must also forward any correspondence sent to their address to the legal entity they represent.

Statutory obligations of a Mississippi registered agent are defined by the MS Code § 79-35-14, which also requires the agent to keep current (maintain) the relevant information, such as their name and address.

Appointing and maintaining a registered agent is a legal obligation, and failing to do so can prevent you from establishing an organization and operating in Mississippi.

Requirements and Qualifications for a Registered Agent in Mississippi

A registered agent can be any individual or organization with a physical location in Mississippi (P.O. boxes are not allowed). The agent must be available at their address—also known as the registered office—during regular business hours to receive the necessary correspondence.

With this in mind, you can appoint an employee, friend, family member, or another organization as your registered agent. You can even enlist yourself, but doing so would come at the cost of privacy because your name and address would enter the public record.

While you might feel compelled to enroll an individual, doing so comes with certain risks. If they take time off or travel, you might miss critical legal notices like lawsuits or court summons, which can lead to severe consequences. Namely, failing to respond to a lawsuit or appear in court can lead to the so-called default judgment, where the verdict is automatically delivered against your organization in your absence.

In the worst-case scenario, failure to appoint and maintain a registered agent can lead to the administrative dissolution of your entity—the process by which your rights and authority to operate in Mississippi are taken away.

Noncommercial vs. Commercial Registered Agents in Mississippi

Mississippi is one of the 12 states that differentiate between commercial and noncommercial registered agents, as defined by the Model Registered Agents Act (MoRAA).

Note that both individuals and legal entities can be commercial or noncommercial agents, which might create some confusion. The main distinction is that commercial agents—like Harbor Compliance—have to file a listing statement with the Mississippi secretary of state.

When they do, they’re listed on the secretary of state website, making updating their information and status easier. The list is publicly available and updated every 14 days. Noncommercial agents don’t submit the listing statement but can still perform their duties by giving consent to the organization they want to represent.

The Process of Appointing and Changing a Registered Agent in Mississippi

To appoint or change your registered agent, you must submit the relevant filings to the Mississippi secretary of state. Note that there’s an important yet subtle distinction between these two processes, as explained in the following table:

Harbor Compliance—A Trusted Registered Agent in Mississippi

For over a decade, Harbor Compliance has helped numerous organizations meet the legal and regulatory requirements of the states they’re operating in. Our Registered Agent Service saves time while ensuring important notices are delivered efficiently, no matter where you are. Besides all 50 states, the service is available in:

• Puerto Rico
• District of Columbia
• Select Canadian provinces

By partnering with us, you can leverage our local Mississippi office in Ridgeland and enjoy same-day electronic delivery of all time-sensitive correspondence. The office is open during regular business hours, so you can rest assured knowing your registered agent will always be there to receive service of process and other documents.

Harbor Compliance also offers a robust cloud platform that streamlines communication and makes all the necessary documents readily available. Our secure, user-friendly Client Portal lets you manage alerts and notifications so the key people in your organization never miss a notice. You’ll also find pre-filled state forms that reduce clerical errors and filing time.

Besides our Registered Agent Service, we offer numerous solutions for meeting different state regulatory requirements:

• Nationwide drop-off filing with the secretary of state offices across the U.S.
• Retrieval of certificates of good standing, certificates of authority, and certified copies of corporate filings
• Managed Annual Report Service, helping you submit filings timely and avoid late fees
• License management that lets you obtain and manage general business licenses alongside industry-specific ones (law, architecture, construction, etc.)
• Nonprofit formation (charitable registration, incorporation, and 501(c) tax exemption)

Appointing an Individual vs. Appointing Harbor Compliance as Your Mississippi Registered Agent

At first glance, appointing an individual such as yourself, a friend, or an employee might seem simpler than partnering with a commercial registered agent provider. However, you should keep in mind that to fulfill their duties diligently, a registered agent must ensure:

• Flexibility and constant availability during business hours
• Proper security of the received documents
• Excellent organizational skills

The following table shows how individual agents compare to Harbor Compliance according to the factors listed above:

How To Appoint Harbor Compliance as Your Registered Agent in Mississippi

With Harbor Compliance, you’re in complete control of the registered agent appointment process—you can let us take care of it or do it yourself. Either way, the process is quick and straightforward, though the details depend on your specific scenario:

1. Formation
2. Changing a registered agent
3. Foreign qualification

Forming a New Legal Entity in Mississippi

If you need help going through the formation or incorporation process beyond the appointment of a registered agent, we can help with three sets of services depending on your entity:

1. Nonprofit formation
2. Incorporation
3. LLC Formation

When you order your preferred service, we’ll take over the formation process and submit the necessary filings on your behalf, including naming ourselves as your registered agent.

If you choose the DIY approach, you can appoint Harbor Compliance as your registered agent on your formation form

• Articles of Incorporation for profit and nonprofit organizations
• Articles of Organization for LLCs

Note that you must order our Mississippi Registered Agent service before appointing us in your forms.

Changing Your Registered Agent in Mississippi

You can also change your Mississippi registered agent while ordering your Harbor Compliance registered agent service. The process is pretty much the same as when employing the registered agent service during formation. However, you’ll see an option to add our Change of Agent service before you check out.

When you select this option and complete the checkout process, we’ll handle the filing on your behalf and appoint Harbor Compliance as your agent.

Foreign Qualification

If your entity is already operating in another state and you want to expand to Mississippi, you can use our foreign qualification service to streamline the process. The user-friendly wizard will guide you through the process, and Harbor Compliance will obtain your certificate of authority and complete the appointment filing.

You can also order the certificate of good standing from your organization’s home state, which is necessary for expanding your operations.

Enjoy Worry-Free Operations With the Leading Mississippi Registered Agent Service Provider

Failure to meet Mississippi’s legal requirements, no matter how insignificant they might seem, can stunt your organization’s growth. Whether you want to get your business or nonprofit off the ground faster or expand to the state without friction, the right registered agent can make a world of difference.

Harbor Compliance’s reliable registered agent service can help you promptly address any legal issue your organization might face. Besides diligently accepting and forwarding your state correspondence, our comprehensive service offering ensures that you keep everything up and running without legal or regulatory setbacks.

Order our Registered Agent Service or reach out to explore our additional services and ensure your organization meets state requirements effortlessly.

If you want to check your current regulatory standing, you can also get a free Harbor Compliance Score™. Our award-winning software can help you resolve any issues you may notice, so request a demonstration to see how it works in action.

If you run a multistate organization and need help navigating the regulatory frameworks of various jurisdictions, browse our Registered Agent service across the U.S. and beyond by referring to the table below: